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Clergy revolt over gay ceremonies ban

Supporters of civil partnerships demonstrate at a protest in York yesterdayJohn Giles/PA

The Church of England is facing a rebellion from its clergy over a ban on civil partnership ceremonies in its 16,000 churches.

Nearly a hundred clergy in the London diocese, one of the most traditionalist in the country, have signed a letter demanding the same rights for priests to hold civil partnership ceremonies in their churches as they have to celebrate the marriages of divorced couples.

The Government ended the prohibition on civil partnerships in religious buildings at the end of last year, but the Church has told its clergy that they cannot register their churches for the ceremonies unless the Church’s governing body first approves the change.

The General Synod, which meets next week, has a strong conservative evangelical lobby that will resist any…